User input devices, such as gaming controllers, can include various proportional and analog-type controls, such as joysticks, thumbsticks, control sticks, proportional triggers, or other input mechanisms. These input mechanisms typically include both mechanical and electrical elements to allow for user manipulation in one or more directional axes. The user input devices can be employed in various interactive systems, such as discrete gaming consoles, computer gaming environments, portable gaming systems, and other devices and systems, which might also include aviation, military, or industrial control systems. The Microsoft Xbox® family of gaining systems are examples which can employ these user input devices, with a base system, set top box, or console configured to communicate with gaming controllers over wired or wireless interfaces. In operation, control sticks typically return to a mechanical resting position when a user is not engaging the control stick. Many gaming systems employ central ‘dead zones’ which ignore user input when a control stick is within the dead zone.